Open Forum: Animal abuse registry is to protect animals

My proposed bill to create a statewide registry of convicted animal abusers has generated a lot of attention. But some of the criticisms are off point.

The idea — championed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund — is not about dietary choices, hunting or medical research. And it’s not a philosophical exercise about what constitutes a crime or animal cruelty.

Rather it’s a serious and overdue effort to help police and animal shelters better protect our animals. It’s about stopping someone who has already been convicted of felony animal abuse from again torturing, sexually abusing or intentionally killing animals.

People like Shon Rahrig. In 1999, Rahrig went to local shelters in Ohio and adopted several cats and a puppy. He then allegedly tortured them — poking out eyes, breaking legs and cutting off paws before leaving them to die.

Fortunately, Rahrig’s girlfriend turned him in, and he was forbidden to own an animal for five years. But he was reportedly seen soon after at an adoption event in California.

No shelter in California wants a Shon Rahrig to adopt their cats and dogs — or anyone else with a felony conviction for animal abuse. A statewide registry would not only allow shelters, humane centers and local SPCAs to prevent adoptions to known abusers but also arm law enforcement with a proven tool to stop future crimes.

A registry could also ensure that pet guardians don’t unknowingly put their cats and dogs in harm’s way. For example, on Jan. 26, Glynn Johnson was convicted in a Riverside court for fatally beating his neighbor’s puppy with a 12-pound rock after the dog had crossed into his yard.

If you had a pet and lived next door to someone with a conviction like this, wouldn’t you at least want the opportunity to know?

These are the types of cases that a registry would address. Not hunting, not ordering a burger, not forgetting to roll your window down as you pump gas with Fido in the car. This registry would help prevent the most serious cases of torture, sexual abuse and killing.

It may also prevent crimes against humans. There are disturbing links between animal abuse and domestic violence, as well as mass murders: Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, “The Son of Sam,” “The Boston Strangler” and Kansas’ “BTK killer” all were known animal abusers.

And for those that worry about the minimal cost of developing a registry — which would function easily within existing law enforcement frameworks — know that the prevention of future abuse cases could save local and states money, considering the costly nature of prosecutions and trials. Communities also could avoid the high cost of cleaning up after “hoarders” (people who accumulate and then neglect to care for dozens or hundreds of animals in small spaces).

But this is not just about saving money. It’s about doing what’s right. As Stephan Wells, the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s executive director said, “It should be motivation enough to protect our animals from repeat offenders — and any abuse of any kind.”

If Mohandas Gandhi was right — and a society is truly judged on how it treats its animals — then California has the opportunity to lead the way as it has always done. With law enforcement, animal welfare advocates and pet guardians clamoring for it, the time has come for a statewide registry.

State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter (Kern County) is the author of SB1277, a bill that would require animal abusers’ names to be listed in an online registry, similar to the registry for sex offenders.